with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law

pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure

on the situation of North Korean refugees (2012/2655(RSP))

Véronique De Keyser, Libor Rouček, Ana Gomes
on behalf of the S&D Group

NB: This motion for a resolution is available in the original language only.

European Parliament resolution on the situation of North Korean refugees(2012/2655(RSP))

B7‑0262/2012

The European Parliament,

-having regard to its previous resolutions on the Korean Peninsula, and in particular to the European Parliament's resolution on North Korea adopted on 7 July 2010;

-having regard to the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declarations of Human Rights, the International Covenants on Human Rights and other human rights instruments;

-having regard to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees;

-having regard to the 1984 Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;

-having regard to United Nations Security Council resolutions on the Korean Peninsula;

-having regard to the United Nations General Assembly Third Committee Resolution on “the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” in the 64th Session adopted on 19 November 2009;

-having regards to Council Decisions on the Korean Peninsula;

-having regard to the report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on 21 February 2011;

-having regard to the resolution of the UN Human Rights Council adopted by consensus on 19 March 2012 on the "Situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea";

-having regard to the Universal Peer Report of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 7 November 2009 and to the DPRK agreed to examine 117 recommendations of the Report of the Working Group on Universal Periodic Review, Human Rights Council adopted on 18 March 2010;

-having regard to calls by international non-governmental human rights organisations on the European Union to step up its engagement on North Korea human rights issues,

-having regard to Rule 122(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.whereas the human rights situation in DPRK remains horrific and the humanitarian situation is deeply alarming;

B.whereas the justice system is subservient to the State and the death penalty is applied for a broad range of crimes against the State and is extended periodically by the Criminal Code, while citizens, including children, are forced to attend public executions;

D.whereas the DPRK government does not allow organized political opposition, free and fair elections, free media, religious freedom, freedom of association, expression and movement;

E.whereas large parts of the population suffer from starvation and are to a large extent dependent on international food aid; whereas the World Food Program reported in September 2009 that a third of North Korean women and children are malnourished;

F.whereas due to the situation in the country a significant number of North Koreans flee to China, both for economical and political reasons; whereas China reportedly forcibly returned North Korean refugees to DPRK; whereas this practice has been suspended in accordance with a request from the South Korean government;

G.whereas the North Korean refugees would be classified as refugees sur place as defined by UN High Commissioner for Refugees, on account of the persecution and punishment they are likely to face on their return to the DPRK;

H.whereas those fleeing the DPRK as “economic migrants” are doing so as a direct result of the policies of the North Korean government which discriminate against ordinary people and benefit the elite who are loyal to the regime;

I.whereas no foreign journalists are allowed unrestricted access to the DPRK and whereas due to this the information from the country is scarce and usually unconfirmed; whereas the general population of the country has no access to the internet;

1.Calls on the DPRK to put an immediate end to the ongoing grave, widespread and systematic human rights violations perpetrated against its own people that cause North Koreans to flee the country;

2.Calls on the DPRK to immediately and permanently stop public executions and abolish the death penalty in the DPRK;

3.Calls on the DPRK to put an end to extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, to release political prisoners and allow its citizens to travel freely both inside and out of the country;

4.Calls on the DPRK to stop the use of torture, forced labour and imprisonment in brutal and remote prison camps of North Koreans forcibly returned to the DPRK;

5.Calls on the DPRK authorities to ensure access to food and humanitarian assistance for all citizens on the basis of need;

6.Calls on the DPRK to allow free expression and press freedom, as well as uncensored access to the internet for its citizens, calls on the North Korean authorities to allow foreign journalists to the country;

7.Welcomes the decision by the Chinese authorities to suspend repatriation of North Korean refugees;

8.Urges EU Member States to continue granting North Korean refugees asylum and to adopt a more systematic approach to organising European and international protection for North Koreans fleeing the desperate situation at home, and calls on the Commission to continue to support civil-society organisations helping North Korean refugees and spreading free information to the DPRK;

9.Calls on the European Commission to maintain existing humanitarian aid programmes and channels of communication with the DPRK as these aid programmes are directly related to the living conditions of the DPRK population;

10.Calls on the European Commission to rigorously monitor the distribution of food aid and humanitarian assistance in North Korea to meet international standards of transparency and accountability;

11.Calls on the EU to maintain bilateral and multilateral targeted sanctions that focus on the DPRK regime but which will not affect North Korean citizens;

12.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Member States, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea and the People’s Republic of China, and the United Nations Secretary-General.